DILIMAN, Quezon City—Regular monitoring is key to a productive harvest of onion, according to a long-time farmer in Iloilo.
In a radio interview, 42-year-old Dexter Miague from Miag-ao, Iloilo shared some of his practices to make sure that his onion produce is of good quality before it gets to the market.
“Onions are very delicate. It can get sick at any given time if neglected, and disease spreads easily among the crops,” Miague said, adding the importance of prevention.
Growing onions takes around four months starting from the seedbed up to harvest. The soil requirement is sandy loam, Miague said, because it drains water easily.
“Onions are best planted during the dry season. It does not grow well during rainy days. Here in our town, we start planting around December or January,” he said.
Miague’s preferred onion varieties are called “Red Pinoy” and “Super Pinoy” which he buys from a private seed company. Seeds from both varieties are planted in his 1.5-hectare farm at a two-square-inch distance.
Great attention should be given to the crops, Miague stressed. This includes watering the crops everyday and checking on them every morning and afternoon for insects or fungi.
For urban residents interested in growing onions, Miague said that this is possible even with around 10 square meters of land and with 50 grams of seeds.
To learn more about onion farming, visit https://web.facebook.com/watch/?v=2270887763092273.
Miague’s interview on the Agricultural Training Institute’s teleradyo program, “Agri Asenso”, aired on January 21, 2023.
